The instant invention relates to toy guns, and more particularly to a toy gun which is operative for launching a plurality of missiles in rapid succession.
Various types of projectile firing toy guns and related devices which are operative for launching toy missiles have been heretofore available and have been found to have significant levels of appeal among children. Further, toy guns and the like which are operative for firing several missiles in rapid succession have been found to have even greater appeal. However, the operating mechanisms of the heretofore available missile firing toys of this type have generally been relatively complicated and unreliable, and hence, they have often been found to be less than satisfactory.
Toy machine guns and other related launching apparatus representing the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware, are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. to McDaniel No. 1,328,929; Fields No. 2,735,221; Noble No. 2,964,032; Ayala No. 3,009,453; Miller No. 3,148,478; Saito No. 3,774,586; Ikeda No. 4,212,412; and Gegere No. 4,834,058. However, these references fail to suggest a gun which is operative with a simple yet effective and reliable launching mechanism of the type embodied in the toy gun of the instant invention, and hence, they are believed to be of only general interest with respect thereto.
The instant invention provides a toy gun which is operative with a simple, yet effective firing mechanism for reliably launching a plurality of missiles in a relatively rapid succession. More specifically, the toy gun of the instant invention comprises a barrel assembly including a plurality of tubular barrel elements which are disposed in a predetermined sequential array, a plurality of missiles which are receivable in firing positions in sequential barrel elements so that the rear ends of the missiles are positioned adjacent the firing ends of the barrel elements, and a firing mechanism which is operative for sequentially impacting the rear ends of sequential missiles for launching the missile elements from the barrel assembly.
In one embodiment of the toy gun the barrel assembly is mounted on a base, so that the barrel assembly remains substantially stationary as the firing member is sequentially moved into aligned relation with sequential barrel elements for launching the missiles from the barrel assembly In another embodiment of the toy gun the firing member is mounted in a substantially stationary disposition, and the barrel assembly is moved so that sequential barrel elements are sequentially moved into aligned relation with the firing member for launching the missiles from the barrel assembly. In this embodiment the barrel elements preferably have positioning means formed on the inner or firing ends thereof for positioning the missiles adjacent to the firing ends of the barrel elements until the missiles are individually engaged by the firing member. The missiles preferably have rearwardly extending pins on the rear ends thereof which are engageable by the firing member for launching the missiles from the barrel assembly. Further, the missiles are preferably received in missile shells having apertures in the rear ends thereof so that the pins on the missiles extend through the apertures in the rear ends of the respective shells thereof. When the missiles are assembled with the missile shells in this manner, the firing member is operative for engaging the pins of the missiles to launch them from the barrel assembly so that the shells remain in the barrel assembly. Further, this embodiment of the toy gun preferably includes means for sequentially ejecting the shells from the barrel elements after the respective missiles thereof have been launched from the barrel assembly. The means for ejecting the shells preferably includes a plurality of ejecting pins which are engageable with the rear ends of the shells for pivoting them outwardly in their respective barrel elements so that the shells are ejected from the barrel assembly. When the toy gun includes means for ejecting the shells in this manner the barrel assembly preferably includes a cylindrical outer housing having a window therein, and the shells are ejected through the window in the barrel assembly.
It has been found that the toy gun of the instant invention is highly reliable and that it can be effectively embodied in a variety of different toys for launching missiles in rapid succession. Specifically, it has been found that by providing a launching mechanism wherein missiles are sequentially engaged by a resilient firing member as the firing member passes over sequential ramp elements, the missiles can be effectively and reliably launched from the gun of the instant invention. It has been further found that a launching mechanism of this type can be effectively embodied so that a movable firing member is rotated relative to a stationary barrel assembly in order to launch missiles from the barrel assembly. It has been further found that by providing a mechanism for ejecting missile shells from a barrel assembly after missiles have been launched from the shells, the play value of a toy gun of this type can be even further enhanced.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective and reliable toy gun which is operative for launching a plurality of missiles in relatively rapid succession.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective toy gun wherein a firing member is moved relative to a plurality of substantially stationary barrel elements in order to launch missiles from the barrel elements.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide an effective toy gun which is operative for launching missiles from missile shells and which is further operative for ejecting the missile shells after the respective missiles thereof have been launched.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.